Talk:Alex Kurzem

Untitled
Australian??? No, Belorussian —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Animaonline (talk • contribs). He is definitely Australian by his passport ,by his length of life in the country and by inclination.Claudia May 2011 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.237.38.114 (talk) 14:35, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't know if we could call him that, since that he hasn't lived in Belarus since 6. On the other hand, he's lived in Australia for over 50 years.--Pushsense 16:28, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

Restructuring of article in light of Haaretz article
Meliton. I am restructuring this to give a narrative flow. It is important to distinguish between what is generally accepted fact and what is not. As you appear to be knowledgable on this subject I'd be grateful if you would assist me. There are two accounts of his rescue in the article, one that he was rescued when his family were killed, the other that he was rescued some weeks later. I have left out the first for now, please could you clarify.

Please can you correct any mistakes I might make, add detail where appropriate, and supply me with online sources. Just give URLs for the sources and I'll insert them into the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sceptic1954 (talk • contribs) 14:52, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Controversial statements removed
As this is a biography of a living person I have removed the following in accordance with WikiPedia guidelines – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed

“Controversial, poorly-sourced claims in biographies of living people should be deleted immediately.”

1 “Subsequently (in 1972) Kurzem would provide an affidavit in support of Lobe who was on trial for war crimes.”

2 “Although it conflicts in many details with the earlier documentary.”  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sceptic1954 (talk • contribs) 09:58, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Were both book and film written by Mark Kurzem? Surely produced for the film? The film had a co-producer. Maybe that could go into body of article rather than lead. I am hardly experienced in wiki matters, I am a fan of concise leads and concision generally. Leads are summaries. Sorry if this sounds nit-picky, leads are important and everyone fights over them! Sceptic1954 (talk) 15:47, 29 September 2012 (UTC)

News about Alex Kurzem
I think this should be added to the page since it partially confirms the story of Alex Kurzem – http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/compensation-claim-upheld-as-holocaust-story-believed/story-fni0fee2-1226685112800 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.60.157.144 (talk) 08:37, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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Dispute on facts not on narrative
There is no argument about what he claims so no need to argue about sources. He and Mark have been quite clear about that. The video interviews he made later and at the time also clarify and substantiate what he claims.

If he's still alive I would get him in touch with the Sanok and Kaidanov Hassidic courts and have them try to remind him of Yiddish words or shma yisrull in there accent. Also to read the yizkor books of those two towns. And of bolihow. I knew the late rebbe of Bolihow here in my town and am family to the Kaidanover rebbe.

Koydanov written in Hebrew letters which could be read Kaidanov is the way Jews pronounced their town name and is used to this day in yad vashem and bet hatfutsot and by the hassidic community surviving from that towns dynasty. Watch the video and all your cautions fall.

The question is not the involvement of the batallion in slonim but in the other towns where no evidence survives. I would take that path rather than bash this man and his family to which I extend the hug of a religious Jew and an invitation to Yad Vashem despite their early suspicions and investigation. פשוט pashute ♫ (talk) 20:41, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

Subjects of dispute
No one doubted that he is the mascot boy in the SS unit. His deposition for Lobe is enough besides his looks. So his story is more than compelling.

What is questioned are his accounts about his parents, and his accounts about attrocities. It is the question of whether he is Jewish, doubted by Jewish researchers, and whether he is lying about his unit, doubted by Latvian nationalists who do not hide there antisemitism but at the same time claim the Latvian brigades were not part of any atrocities. This goes well with holocaust deniers.

I find his story compelling and hope more evidence like a video of the neighbors or a weather report from that date will be found. DNA testing can be done to his family as well. פשוט pashute ♫ (talk) 08:51, 30 May 2019 (UTC)

Death
Sources relating to Mr Kurzem's death on 31st January 2022.

https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/funeral-notices/kurzemnieks-alex-uldis/5884935/

https://www.smh.com.au/national/did-a-jewish-orphan-really-become-hitler-s-youngest-recruit-20231102-p5eh15.html